Sacrifice and Libations

Proper worship of the gods in this story, and in the ancient Greek world, involved sacrifice. Sacrifice is the offering of an animal’s life to the gods, or to a specific god or goddess. The animal’s neck would be cut, and then a portion of the meat burned as a gift to the gods. The rest of the meat was then consumed by the worshipers in a feast. The whole process, including the initial processions, the ceremony, the sacrifice and the feast, was all part of celebrating and honoring the gods. Libations are like a sacrifice, but using liquid rather than meat. Oil, milk, wine, or blood are all examples of liquids that could be offered. This was most common when honoring the spirits of the dead.